1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates generally to stabilizers used on commercial vehicles, and more particularly, to a cleat that is easily attached and detached from a base pad of a stabilizer and substantially increases traction between the base pad and a ground surface.
2. Description of Prior Art
A number of different of different utility vehicles use stabilizers. Such vehicles include several large commercial utility trucks, such as those used by power companies and arborist companies. A number of small tractors used for industrial purposes such as dredging including skip loaders and back hoes, are also frequently equipped with stabilizers.
A stabilizer usually comprises a leg portion and a base pad. Often hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical mechanisms are coupled to the leg portions of the stabilizers for raising and lowering the base pad of the stabilizer. The base pad typically has a flat surface area that may have slightly upturned ends to inhibit the edges of the pad from digging into the ground. The base pad has a periphery greater than the cross sectional dimension of the leg, to prevent the leg from sinking into the ground surface that the base pad is placed on. The base pad may be rectangular, square, or circular in shape, depending on various factors such as the intended applications of the stabilizer and the configuration of the leg.
One known configuration of stabilizers comprises all, or a portion, of the leg configured to extend away from the utility vehicle at a desired angle, with the base pad coupled to a bottom of the stabilizer. The stabilizer may support all or a portion of the weight of the utility vehicle and may limit lateral movement of the vehicle.
An alternate stabilizer configuration is used for landing gear on large commercial trailers. The landing gear is typically mounted to an underframe of the trailer, proximal to a front end of the trailer. In use, the landing gear extends vertically to the ground surface, away from the underframe. The landing gear prevents the trailer from falling forward when the tractor is detached from the trailer, such as when the trailer is stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,809, by Wuerflein, discloses an outrigger float pad assembly that can be releasably connected to an outrigger lift jack. The lift jack has an annular collar that surrounds a shaft. The float pad has a central hub that upstands from a base. Two closed links are loosely connected to the collar at 180.degree. spacings around the center axis of the shaft, and two lugs are formed on the float pad hub at like 180.degree. spacings around the hub. The links are adapted to fit over the lugs to allow the float pad to releasably connect to the lift jack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,144, by Ringe, discloses a sand shoe articulately jointed to a ground engaging end of a landing gear leg by a collar circumscribing the ground engaging end. Compressed between the base of the leg and a bottom of the sand shoe, is a wedge-shaped resilient member biasing the shoe into a tilted position relative to the plate. The sand shoe is tilted to prevent the shoe from snagging upon objects that pass beneath the trailer when the trailer is moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,244, by Jensen et al., discloses a crane upper structure self-transferring system. Lift assemblies include outrigger jacks that enable vertical movement of the upper structure. Air pad assemblies are provided between the outrigger jacks and a surface supporting the carrier. Air pad assemblies can also be provided between the lift assemblies and a surface supporting the upper structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,491, by Eklund, discloses a sand shoe that can be mounted to legs of a trailer. The sand shoe includes a rectangular metal base and upstanding side plates. Central portions of the side plates have openings in the top portions thereof for mounting the sand shoe to the legs of a trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,612 discloses a detachable articulated foot that is fastened to a lower end of a supporting leg; U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,184 discloses a stabilizer system for a utility vehicle; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,136 discloses landing gear for a vehicle such as a trailer.
A disadvantage common to the prior art, as well as the cited prior art references, is that the base pads or feet thereof have smooth bottom surfaces. When using stabilizers while operating utility vehicles, such as large utility trucks or small tractors, on slick or unstable ground surfaces, such as snow, ice, and mud, the stabilizer base pads may slide on the surface as the pressure that the stabilizer exerts on the ground increases, causing the utility vehicle to become dangerously unstable. If the utility vehicle were to become unstable, harm may come to persons working on or around the vehicle or nearby property or objects could be damaged.
Thus, there exists a need for an apparatus that increases the adhesive friction between a base pad of a stabilizer and an unstable ground surface for inhibiting the base pad from inadvertently moving relative to the unstable ground surface, thereby inhibiting the stabilizer and its associated utility vehicle from becoming unstable.